Fresh Ginger
Very hot and sharp, fresh ginger is used to alleviate Kapha related symptoms, and aggravates Pitta. The sweet post digestive effect of ginger moistens and nourishes tissues, and is anti-inflammatory. Fresh ginger is regarded as “the great medicine” in both Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, since it restores health quickly in cases of digestive weakness and phlegm conditions.
Boiled fresh ginger is a remedy for sore throat (cooked with black raisins) and infectious diseases (viral or bacterial) of the respiratory or digestive system, which manifest with fever, phlegm, cough, catarrh, vomiting, stomach aches, diarrhea or nausea. Fresh ginger is used widely in Asia to prevent nausea in pregnant women.
Note that dry ginger has utterly different qualities (oily, light, warming) and is used to treat Vata disorders.
Chewing a small slice of fresh ginger before meals (with or without a pinch of rock-salt and a squeeze of lemon) enhances the digestive power and purifies the tongue and throat.
Properties
Taste: pungent
Natural Attributes: heavy, dry, sharp
Tissue impact (Vipak): sweet (nourishing)
Thermal impact (Virya): very hot
Dosha impact: Increases Pitta, decreases Kapha and Vata
Digestive impact (Agni): easy to digest
Channels (Srotas): opens
Feces: breaks and moves
Urine: diuretic
Strength (Bala): clears congestionand obstruction
Mind (Manas): Rajasic
Effect: purgative, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antibacterial, antiarthritic, appetizer, antiemetic, carminative, digestive, sialogogue, spleen tonic, stomachic, detoxicant, cardiac stimulant, vasodilator, lung tonic, decongestant,
Chinese five element impact: Fire and Earth
Chinese medicine syndromes: stomach, spleen-pancreas, lungs ; increases spleen yang, clears phlegm.
Medicinal properties
- Nourishment (rasa): muscle pain, headache
- Blood-circulation-liver: menstrual cramps, suppressed menstruation, swelling, stimulates heart, opens up blood vessels, dispels feelings of cold from extremities
- Bones-joints-tendon-ligaments: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis
- Respiratory system: clears congestion in the upper respiratory tract, including the throat, nose and sinuses,pain in throat, bronchitis, cold with cough, sneezing, phlegm, runny nose
- Digestive system: nausea, augments digestive power, cleans mouth, improves appetite and taste, constipation, vomiting, morning sickness, aches, spasms, break down poorly digested or heavy food.
- Cleansing: tongue and throat
Harmful for: excess heat, Yin deficiency, anemia, skin disorders dysuria, bleeding disease, ulcers, burning sensation, during summer.